If I Had the Chance, I'd Ask the One to Dance
by AngelNo13Bardiel
Summary: (sequel to Alone With You) When it comes to holidays, Asuka either never participated in them or did so in her own unorthodox way. It seems White Day will be no different...which, for Shinji at least, is a good thing. -Story complete/C&C appreciated/Please leave a review if you liked-


**DISCLAIMER:** I still don't own Evangelion or any of its characters, that's all still the property of…whoever owns it these days. Probably never will either, but I'm okay with that (too much legal hassle to potentially deal with). Original series timeline applies here, nothing Rebuild-centric. This one's the follow-up to _**Alone With You**_ , so go read (or re-read) that first. 'This' denotes thoughts, while "this" is speech and whole lines _like this_ are sung lyrics. I think that covers everything, let's get right into it!

 _ **-If I Had the Chance, I'd Ask the One to Dance-**_

Shinji Ikari wasn't used to feeling happy on a regular basis, but things had been relatively quiet in his life lately, so his spirits were higher than usual. There were, of course, other things that had been good as of late…like the time he had spent with the Second Child.

As he stepped into the elevator heading up to Misato's apartment, Shinji's thoughts turned to Asuka and what had happened on Valentine's Day. 'I put myself out on a shaky limb…but it worked out better than I thought it would,' he thought to himself with a smile. The two hadn't really discussed the day's events afterward, it was more of an unspoken thing. They still acted much the same around Misato and at school or NERV…but those times they were alone, one would inevitably reach out and hold the other's hand. Sometimes it would be at the apartment, sometimes it would be on the walk home from school. Sometimes it was her, sometimes it would be him that would initiate it. Either way, the two would look at each other and give a knowing smile.

Shinji still wasn't entirely sure of _what_ they were now, they both knew how he felt but Asuka hadn't really told him anything in return. He didn't really mind that much, however: the redhead had always been very guarded about her emotions, so he would gladly give her all the time she needed before telling him. And her actions since had more than said she _at least_ liked him back. She'd berate him or argue around their friends or Misato, but there was always a wink when no one was watching anymore…her way of saying that it was just an act. 'And that's good enough for now,' he reasoned as the elevator reached its destination.

His thoughts also turned to today's activities around school. Today was White Day, and it was the boys' turn to present the girls with gifts. The highlight of the day had been watching Toji nervously give a box of white chocolates to Hikari, something the Third Child had helped in choosing for his friend. Shinji had opted to buy several boxes of store-bought chocolates for the girls whose gifts he had turned down on Valentine's Day, a way of at least returning their gestures in a friendly manner. He had explained as much to Asuka, who was initially irked but understood it was just a part of his nature. She had even given him a quick peck on the cheek and called him 'sweet baka-Shinji', which had caused him to blush. He no longer found the insult to be as bad, she used it more as a nickname than anything else.

Opening the apartment's front door, Shinji noticed that the lights within were still off. 'Misato must be at NERV,' he thought, slipping out of his shoes. It was a little later than he usually arrived, he had been given cleaning duty that day. Asuka had left almost as soon as she could, telling him not to take too long getting home. He didn't have a clue what she had meant, only that her tone had been softer than normal. "I'm home," he called out into the darkened hall, only to be met with no answer. Sighing, he placed his shoes down near the door…only to be greeted by a piece of paper near the spot he normally put his footwear.

Puzzled, Shinji picked up the paper and unfolded it, finding only a couple of sentences:

 _ **Just go sit on the couch and wait. You'll understand soon enough.  
-Asuka**_

Shinji blinked a few times before looking back up and into the living room. He hadn't seen anything to tell him that Asuka was already home, but she had left quite a bit earlier than him. He had just assumed that she hadn't made it back yet, maybe doing something downtown. He did as the note suggested and sat on the couch, unsure of exactly what to expect.

"Oh _Shinjiii_ ~…" a low voice spoke in an almost songlike way, causing him to jump a little at the sudden sound. He slowly turned around and was immediately blinded by a light that blazed to life just down the hallway that led to his and Asuka's rooms.

"A-Asuka…?" Shinji spoke up, putting a hand over his eyes to block out the brightness. "W-what a-are…"

" _Shh_ …just sit there and watch," Asuka's voice cut him off. Shinji couldn't see her at all, but did see the silhouette of an arm reach out from her room. It was holding something he couldn't identify, which was pointing into the living room. Suddenly, the stereo in the front room came on and began its startup routine. There was a slight pause before music began playing in the front room, a heavy drum beat leading into a heavily processed and distorted guitar riff that would stop suddenly every few bars before resuming. Turning back towards the hall, a figure now stood between him and the light and cast its shadow over him.

As it approached closer and its features became more legible, Shinji's mouth opened and went dry and most thoughts left his mind. Standing before him was Asuka Langley Sohryu in a sleeveless black dress which ended at thigh-length, along with a pair of long black gloves that reached her elbows. His eyes started on her feet, which were clad in a pair of black heels, and slowly moved up over her body before coming to rest on her face. She wore a smirk that all but said how much she was enjoying his reaction…not to mention the top hat that crowned her red hair. She started to move in rhythm to the music, every sway and step commanding the Third Child's attention. When the words started, she sang along low, audible but barely enough to be heard over the song's actual singer as the music softened.

 _Come down to my house  
Stick a stone in your mouth  
You can always pull out  
If you like it too much_

The music's volume picked up again as the chorus started, Asuka's body movements becoming more and more languid as she neared closer to Shinji. He was completely unsure of just _what_ to keep his eyes on: instead, he just sat in rapt attention as the redhead continued to sing along and dance.

 _Make a whole new religion  
A falling star that you cannot live without  
And I'll feed your obsession  
There'll be nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt_

Asuka reached him just as the last line came up, her hand lifting up and tracing a line on Shinji's jaw with her index finger. She closed his open mouth with a soft touch, which snapped him out of his stupor…at least until she began to move to the song's rhythm again.

 _A hit is hard to resist  
And I never miss  
I can take you out  
With just a flick of my wrist_

Asuka made a flicking motion with her arm, emphasizing the line she had just sang along to. Shinji gulped and kept his eyes no lower than her collarbone. The dress Asuka was wearing revealed quite a bit of cleavage, so he figured it would be best to keep his eyes more north of that. But, try as he might, his vision would dart occasionally down to the swell of her bust.

 _Make a whole new religion  
A falling star that you cannot live without  
And I'll feed your obsessions  
There is nothing but this thing that you'll never doubt  
This thing you'll never doubt_

Shinji watched as Asuka continued to move and dance to the music as it entered an instrumental section, with her hip movements almost in-time with the guitar solo within. He caught a slight flash of the skin beneath the hem of her skirt, which made him shiver in nervousness. This was certainly _not_ where he thought his day was going…not that he would have argued if he could: he was simply to engrossed in her performance to think otherwise.

 _And I'll feed your obsession  
The falling star that you cannot live without  
I will be your religion  
This thing you'll never doubt  
You're not the only one  
You're not the only one_

Asuka moved from one side of the room to the other in a slinking, strutting manner. Shinji's eyes were on nothing else but her, just watching as she stepped and swayed to the music. The last line repeated itself a few times, each time the redhead moved closer and closer to the boy sitting on the couch and said the same words again and again.

 _Bow down to me  
Bow down to me~  
Bow down to me  
Bow down to me~  
Bow down to me  
Bow down to me~  
Bow down to me_

The music and final line ended with Asuka at eye-level with Shinji as he sat completely transfixed by what he had just witnessed. He watched as the Second Child pointed the remote at the stereo again, pausing the CD she had playing. "So…what did you think of _that_ , Shinji?" she asked, her tone low and sultry.

Shinji didn't answer her immediately. In fact, he found that he couldn't get the words out _at all_. So he simply stuttered and bumbled his way through several attempted words. "I…uh…eh…y-you…t-that…w-w-wow…"

"Hellooo…Earth to baka-Shinji," Asuka said, waving a hand in front of his stunned face a few times. Shaking her head, she let out a small laugh. "Good job Asuka, you went and broke him." Taking him by the shoulders, she lightly shook the Third Child until he finally refocused on her face. "Alright, I don't think I fried _too much_ up there."

"A-Asuka…" Shinji finally managed to say, still blushing as he realized that he could see down her dress from this angle. "Wh-what was…"

"Oh, that?" Asuka asked, ignoring the fact that she had caught him staring at her breasts. She didn't mind his eyes being on her, it was what she had been hoping would happen. "That was _your_ White Day present. So…how did you like it?"

Shinji couldn't stop his mouth from letting out the first thing he could think of. "Sexiest thing I've ever seen…" he muttered before realizing what he had said and looking away from Asuka. "I…uh…I m-mean…"

"Don't worry, Shinji," Asuka replied, rubbing his shoulders lightly. "That was _exactly_ the reaction I was hoping for." She raised her head to put her lips lightly on his forehead for a few seconds. " _That_ was for your honesty." She took off the top hat and set it down on the spot next to him before standing up and extending her left hand toward him. "Okay, up on your feet for the next part."

Shinji blinked in confusion for a moment before taking the offered hand and rising from the couch. "W-what did you h-have in mind?" he asked, still nervous but less so than earlier.

Asuka took a deep breath and stared right into his eyes. "We share a dance, that's what."

Shinji faltered a little at her request. "B-but Asuka…" he started. "I…I can't dance…"

Asuka shook her head slowly. "That's okay, I haven't ever danced with another person before either," she admitted before moving his hand around to just above her hip. "And it's not _that_ hard, really. Just place your hand right here…" She paused and looked back at him. "Don't move it any lower without my permission or you'll lose it. Got that?" She gave him a mock-angry look, which caused Shinji to smile and nod while placing his other arm around her in the same way. "Good boy. Now let me just…" She pointed the remote at the stereo and cycled through until she reached the twelfth and final track before hitting play and tossing it onto the couch beside her discarded top hat.

The music began, a soft keyboard/bass/drums part that was slow enough for what they were going to do. Asuka reached up and put her arms around Shinji's neck, slowly moving them both in rhythm to the music. There were a couple of minor missteps as he tried to adjust to their shared movement, but the redhead avoided all of his clumsy foot movements. "S-sorry," he said a couple of times before they settled into a more relaxed set of motions. The Second Child put aside her annoyance for his apologies and just focused on showing him how to move with her. The singing began slowly after they found the pattern, the voice the same as the one earlier.

 _I am milk  
I am red hot kitchen  
And I am cool  
Cool as the deep blue ocean_

As the music played on, a thought occurred to Shinji. "Hey…Asuka…"

"Hmm?" Asuka replied, feeling quite content with the moment they were sharing.

"Where did you learn those moves?" Shinji questioned. He _was_ genuinely curious, he hadn't known that Asuka was interested in dancing.

"Oh, the things you can look up on a computer," Asuka replied, choosing the most cryptic words she could for the answer. Seeing Shinji's puzzled look, she explained. "I searched for a few videos on…certain dance styles, let's just say. Didn't take me long to figure out. After all, it's _me_ we're talking about. What other outcome would you expect?"

Shinji couldn't help but smile at her bravado. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Asuka," he said quietly as the music kept playing.

 _I am lost  
So I am cruel  
But I'd be love and sweetness  
If I had you_

 _I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you_  
 _I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you_

"So, you did all this…for _me_?" Shinji spoke up again.

Asuka shrugged in his light embrace. "It only felt right, considering what you did for me on Valentine's Day." She smiled at him, an honest and bright one. "One performance for another. Give me _some_ credit baka, I had a whole month to come up with _something_ just as memorable for you." Her smile changed into a slight frown. "What, did you think I wasn't going to do _anything_ in return?"

"N-no," Shinji replied, stammering a little, "I just…w-well…I didn't know _what_ to expect since that day." He hung his head slightly. "We…we didn't really talk about it after…"

Asuka sighed, looking away for a moment. "That's because I had a lot to think about," she said softly, almost too quiet for Shinji to hear. "It's kind of a big deal to be told someone loves you, you know?" She looked back up at him, her earlier bright smile returning. "But I _did_ give just as great a gift in return, _ja_?"

Shinji returned her smile just as brightly and nodded. "You know…you went about this backwards, too."

Asuka blinked a few times before understanding what he meant, she had said almost the same thing a month ago. "Baka…" She settled once more into their embrace and continued dancing.

 _I am weak  
But I am strong  
I can use my tears  
To bring you home_

 _I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you  
I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you  
I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you_

Shinji swallowed hard, he had another question in mind but was more than a little reluctant to ask it. It was one that had been on his mind earlier, and even longer before that. Still, he figured there wouldn't be a better time. "Asuka…" he began, his voice barely a whisper. "W-what…what are… _we_ now?"

Asuka didn't answer him, only looking away and continuing to move along with Shinji in time to the music. "We…" she started, then paused again. "We're…us." Glancing back up at him, she stared right into his eyes. "When you said you loved me," she explained, "I could tell you meant it." She sighed before speaking again. "Like I said a few minutes ago, I _have_ been thinking about it since. I know we haven't really done much besides hold hands after that, but…"

"But…?" Shinji asked, his attention fully on her words but still moving right along with the rhythm.

"But I think I know," Asuka continued. "I think I _always_ knew…but I'm not good with words, Shinji." She stretched herself closer, moving her mouth right next to his ear. "Besides…actions speak louder than words, right?"

Shinji looked her in the eyes as Asuka moved back. He felt his eyes water up when he realized just what she had meant. Her present to him, her actions this afternoon…they were the girl's way of saying his feelings had been returned. "Asuka…you…" he tried to speak, which prompted her to cover his lips with a finger. She nodded and smiled, but did not say anything.

 _I am milk  
I am red hot kitchen  
And I am cool  
Cool as the deep blue ocean_

 _I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you  
I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you  
I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you  
I'm aching, I'm aching for you_

Shinji reached up and moved her hand away from his face and slowly leaned in towards Asuka, their lips meeting soon after. Just as it had been last month, this kiss was one of the best things either of them had ever felt. This time, though, there was the knowledge of how _both_ of them felt. The emotions behind the kiss were every bit as good as the physical sensation itself.

The two teens pressed into each other deeper, their kiss becoming more and more heated as the moments passed. Finally, they pulled away slowly and tried to catch their breath. Asuka was the first to find her voice. "I-I think I could get used to this…"

Shinji nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "I…I l-love you, Asuka," he breathed out, the first time he had _actually_ used those words to her in person.

Asuka smiled and snuggled more into his touch. "I know, baka," she whispered. "And…so do I."

 _I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
I'm waiting  
For you_

As the music faded out and the CD started over again at the first track, the Second and Third Children continued to hold one another and slowly dance in time to the same rhythm they had been previously. The same way it had happened on Valentine's Day, the world had fallen away and left them with nothing but each other for this moment and the days after this, something both would treasure from now on…

 _ **-End-**_

 **Author's Notes:** Okay, I think that'll do for this particular canon. Like the first part, this is just a little short-and-sweet piece of WAFF and feels. But I think it came out good.

On the subject of Asuka's choice of White Day gift? That would be, like _**Where Boys Fear to Tread**_ , another example of reality bleeding into fiction (though this time, _much_ less salacious). Ash has a habit of dancing quite, err… _suggestively_ …when just the right romantic mood strikes her. It also doesn't hurt that she's taken a few lessons in cabaret, burlesque and striptease. So…I used a little of that in making this one (not so much the undressing parts, though). The choice of song during that is also all-too-fitting for the Second, eh?

Speaking of which: the songs used above are the first and last tracks on **Garbage** 's self-titled 1995 album (which, along with Evangelion and its characters, I don't own and I'm just borrowing for a bit...I just felt like I had to state that _somewhere_ ). The whole thing is just full of songs that could be about Asuka (both in positive _and_ negative lights).

The slow dance afterwards was just the victory lap and the chance for those two to get as close as possible before their second full-on kiss. I enjoyed writing every bit of this one (and its predecessor), so I hope it'll be liked by readers just as much.

As per usual, pre-read and then some was done by Ash. And just like _**Alone With You**_ , this is also dedicated to her. Also, I'd like to thank jcmoorehead for the title choice. I had kinda waffled on a decision and asked his opinion on which sounded better, and went with the one he said sounded best. Thanks a bunch, dude.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

Until our paths next cross,  
 **-AngelNo13Bardiel-**


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